Rebirth
by Eternal Tiet
Summary: Death can come in many forms, as can rebirth. It is possible to experience one without the other.


Disclaimer: Final Fantasy VIII and its characters, locations, ideas, and in-game dialog belong to Square Enix, formally SquareSoft. Cover-art a gift from Shu-Maat at DeviantART

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**~ Rebirth ~**

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Too many times in our lives we spend attempting to protect those we care about, instead of letting them learn to survive on their own.

"Instructor Trepe watch me," the small child said proudly. "Look what I can do!" The student, all of eight years, ran toward the Grat, unaware of the second predator closing in from behind.

His partner quickly tried to move in a defensive pattern, only to be out-matched by the second foe. The little boy tried in vain to protect himself, but the assault was imminent. Quistis quickly jumped from her position of bystander into a more proactive role.

"Victor, watch out!"

The instructor warned, pushing the student from the line of attack. The mutant plant spat its gastric juices on her. She was prepared for such a strike, any good instructor would be. She felt the sensation of acid reaching her skin, expecting it to repel like raindrops on glass. Instead, a blanket of darkness covered her. It was an awareness unlike any she had ever known.

She felt her body collapse to the ground in the training center. This was not supposed to happen; it was only a level eight enemy. No one adversary of this stage should have such a dramatic effect. This could only be the dealing blow of a worthy opponent, an equal. She slowly opened her eyes and darkness surrounded her. She was in a plane between realities.

Gradually, she attempted to lift her otherwise limp body from the ground. It was surreal. She actually could look on her fallen form still lying motionless. With all the strength she could gather, she stood.

It was dark.

All that was known suddenly became the unknown. Her legs walked, but did not touch the ground. The shaded images of the people around her grew fuzzy and then all together vanished in one hypnotic movement.

Now she was alone, a feeling not foreign to her. It was one she had grown used to in her seventeen years. From the side she witnessed the emergence of a tiny orb. First it was a bright minuscule light - equivalent to a grain of sand. Then it grew larger and crimson in color. The light hovered over her for the briefest of moments before taking a position in front.

The brilliance transformed into a figure, a doppelganger of herself. The form mimicked her every motion, her every breath. Finally, after several long moments passed, it turned into an image composed only of flames, yet still remained in a human form. Little by little, her image was replaced by that of another, that still feminine.

"Who are you?" she gasped shading her eyes from the light surrounding the figure. "What… what's happing to me?"

"_You know me Quistis Trepe, you have known of me for years_."

She looked closer into the translucent eyes - the form of a grand bird danced on their surface. "You… you're Phoenix. But I... I didn't use a Phoenix Pinion."

"_Yes I am, and I can be summoned without a Pinion_."

"But you weren't needed - it was just a simple Grat. It just should have inflicted a minimal amount of damage."

"_Exactly, Instructor Trepe_."

"What do you mean by **exactly**? Are you telling me that I'm dead… from a low level Grat?"

"_No, I'm here to help you be reborn, such is my duty. Death can come in many forms, as can rebirth. It is possible to experience one without the other_."

"One doesn't have to die before being reborn?" she questioned to the womanly form.

"_Again you try and understand without listening first… or seeing_."

She, Phoenix the great bird, moved her hand in a fluid motion and in blink of an eye, Quistis was transported back to the events from only a few minutes ago.

"_What did you hope to accomplish_?" asked a voice from within the flames.

"I… I saw one of my students about to be attacked by the Grat. So, I tried to protect him."

"_That is the answer of a mother, but not of a teacher… Although the two can be intertwined. Watch what could have been_."

The bird lifted her hand again, changing the outcome of the events. This time Quistis remained on the sidelines as Victor was the one hit by the gastric juices.

The instructor shielded her eyes from the event, to horrified to see one of her students in pain. The boy fell to the ground, dropping his weapon as the others ran to his aid.

"What in the hell did that prove?" Quistis demanded. "That outcome was no better… it was far worse."

"_Quistis what is your greatest accomplishment? What is your greatest failure_?"

She took a minute to pause, although the answers were right before her eyes.

"I made SeeD at a very young age, younger than most at Garden. I was always proud of that fact. Also, I received my instructor's certificate a year later, and because of that, I also felt fulfilled. My greatest failure would be when my license was revoked for all those months, until my credentials were re-instated."

"_Why did they take that ability away from you_?"

"Their reasoning was that I lacked leadership qualities, but as….." Quistis trailed off as she watched Victor pull himself from the ground. No longer did he wear agony on his face, it was replaced by a renewed intense expression. The instructor looked at the fiery figure in wonder.

"What is he doing?"

"_My child… he is learning_."

Quistis watched as the junior cadet once again faced the Grat that had attacked him. This time he sensed the presence of the second foe and worked in tandem with his partner. _Together_ they preformed textbook maneuvers and quickly, and eloquently, defeated the both enemies.

Tears came to the instructor's eyes as she realized what was happening. "I… I didn't allow him to learn. I tried to protect him."

"_We all learn from our mistakes - this is the only way to true knowledge. Teaching is having the ability to allow the ones we care about to make those mistakes… and in turn, learn from them_."

"I have always done that. Especially with the students who really touched me. I never truly let them learn."

"_Some like Squall Leonhart learned on their own. Others such as Seifer Almasy, never did. Different people react to the same circumstances in their own way_."

"Even on the day Squall took his examine at the Fire Cave, I was supposed to be there only as support, as backup. But I just couldn't let… I fought beside him as an equal, afraid that he would put himself in danger."

"_Exactly my child. You must know when to step in and when to stand back and allow damage to happen. It is the only way one can teach_."

"Thank you," Quistis whispered softly. "Thank you for helping me see. Somehow, I suppose… Well, I always knew what I was doing. I just didn't want to face it. I couldn't let any harm come to my students. My friends."

"_Death is not always the act of ending life, sometimes it is a step to rebirth_."

The fiery bird reached forward to touch the instructor's hand, yet it did not burn. Quistis smiled at the corporeal form one last time, before it released her fingers from its grasp. Suddenly it took a step back and lifted its arms above the human-like head. Fiery arms morphed into grand wings as the bird grew enormous in size. The darkness was lit with the fire radiating off the hovering creature.

The bird danced, swirled within the heat of the flames before opening its beak letting out a sound of pure enchantment. Scarlet and gold hues faded into the dark and were slowly replaced by the familiar surroundings of the training center. Where only darkness was, silhouettes of large tropical leaves took shape. The humid atmosphere filled her senses, as reality slowly drifted back into focus.

With a sudden jolt, she awoke, but not lying on the dirt covered grown. Instead she was standing back, leaning against the railing just as she had been before she had jumped into the battle.

"Instructor Trepe watch me," the small child said proudly. "Look what I can do!" The student ran toward the Grat, unaware of the second predator closing from behind.

Again, his partner attempted a defensive pattern, only to be surprised by the second foe. The youngster tried in ineffectively to protect himself, but the assault was imminent. Quistis started to move forward, a natural reaction to shield one she cared about from harm.

Then she stopped.

She stood immobilized.

A voice in her head told her to let it be… let him learn.

She inhaled waiting for the impeding attack… so she could _teach_ for the first time in her life.

Death comes in all forms, as does the rebirth.


End file.
